Tissue package dispenser with bottom as follower

ABSTRACT

A package of a stack of facial tissues having a wrapping with sides of thin, flexible sheet material and with a relatively rigid base support under which the sides are drawn by an elastic band so as to maintain the wrapping tight about the tissue stack as the tissues are withdrawn from the top of the stack.

United States Patent Inventor Keith T. Bleuer 1663 Wilshire Drive N.E., Rochester, Minn. 55901 App]. No. 5,784

Filed Jan. 26, 1970 Patented Dec. 7, 1971 TISSUE PACKAGE DISPENSER WITH BOTTOM AS FOLLOWER 9 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs.

u.s. CI 221/59, 221/279 Int. Cl A471: 10/44 Field of Search 221/33-65,

155, 279; 206/DIG. 6, DIG. 26, 56 C, 56 G, 57 R, 57 A, 41 CA, 41.1 W; 150/52, 52.3; 222/95, 107, 215

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,574,345 11/1951 Montgomery ISO/52.3 2,490,451 12/1949 Magid 150/52 X 2,802,567 8/1957 Cove] I. 221/52 3,202,316 8/1965 Silver 221/59 1,988,939 1/1935 Craig ISO/52.3 X

Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assislan! Examiner-David A. Scherbe1 ABSTRACT: A package of a stack of facial tissues having a wrapping with sides of thin, flexible sheet material and with a relatively rigid base support under which the sides are drawn by an elastic band so as to maintain the wrapping tight about the tissue stack as the tissues are withdrawn from the top of the stack.

PATENTEU DEC 7 IBYI TISSUE PACKAGE DISPENSER WITH BOTTOM AS FOLLOWER The invention relates to stacks of tissues for facial and other uses and more particularly to a package of such tissues having a flexible wrapping, with an opening providable in the top of the package through which tissues may be withdrawn one at a time for use.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved package of this type having means for automatically decreasing the height of the wrapping as the tissues are withdrawn from the package so as to maintain the wrapping tight about the tissue stack as the stack is decreased in height with usage of the tissues.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide such an improved package for tissues which has a rubber band or the like drawing the sides of the wrapping under a relatively rigid bottom or base support for the tissue stack so as to decrease the height of the wrapping as the tissues are withdrawn from the stack.

The invention consists of the novel constructions, arrangements and devices to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above stated objects, and such other objects, as will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. I is a plan view of a blank of wrapping material from which a portion of the wrapping for a stack of tissues. according to the invention, may be constructed to form a package of tissues;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the package of tissues;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale of the package of tissues taken on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are respectively fragmentary cross-sectional views on a still further enlarged scale of top and bottom portions of the package of tissues;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the package of tissues with a package constricting rubber band held fixed;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the package of tissues with the rubber band being released and with some of the tissues having been withdrawn from the package;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of a cardboard support for the tissues of a package of tissues according to the invention and constituting a modification of a cardboard support used in the embodiment of FIGS. I-8;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 10 10 of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a modified package of tissues and incorporating principles of the inventron.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the blank of wrapping material may be seen to comprise a bottom forming rectangular portion 10a, side forming rectangular portions 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10a, and top forming rectangular portions 10f, 10g, 101:, and 101'. The side forming portions 10b to We each preferably has sidewardly extending flap portions 10]. The tissue wrapping 10 shown in FIGS. I-8, in addition to this blank which has been suitably folded, also comprises a rectangular bottom or tissue stack support 12 preferably having rounded corners 12a, and a stack of tissues 14 is disposed on top of the support 12 and is encased in the wrapping 10 to form a package of tissues. The blank may be of any flimsy, flexible material such as thin polyethylene of 0.0005 to 0.002 inch thickness, for example; and the support 12 is more rigid material, such as cardboard, for example. The tissues may be of thin paper tissue, such as of the conventional dry creped type, which is well suited for facial usage; and the tissues may for example be interfolded or C-folded, as is conventional.

The portion 10a of the blank 10 is disposed on top of the support 12 so as to be between the stack of tissues 14 and the support 12, and the portion 10a has about the same dimensions as the support 12. The portions 10b to We extend upwardly along the sides of the stack of tissues 14, and the portions 10f to I0i overlap on the top of the stack of tissues. A rubber band 16 lies about the margin of the support 12 on the bottom of the support 12 and draws the lower parts of the portions 10b to We underneath the support as is best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. The portions 10f to 101 are heat welded together on the top of the stack of tissues 14, and an oval closed line 18 of perforation is provided in the top of the package extending through all four of the portions 10f to 10i. Four pins 20 are provided at the four corners of the support 12 and extend through the support 12 as shown in FIG. 8, and each of the pins 20 may carry a piece of tape 22 for easy withdrawal of the pin from the support 12.

The package of tissues may be made by laying the blank portion 10a on top of the support 12 and then placing the stack of tissues 14 on top of the portion 100. The rubber band 16 is then stretched around the margin of the support I2 and is brought down underneath the support 12 into its position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, at the same time drawing lower parts of the portions 10b-10e underneath the support 12 as shown in these FIGS. The pins 20 may then be inserted through the blank portion 10a and support 12 in such position as to fix the stretched rubber band 16 in its position with respect to the support 12 as shown in FIG. 6,.with the rubber band 16 extending along and adjacent to the margin of the support 12. Four of the pins 20 are used, one at each corner of the support 12; and a conventional stapler, set for pinning action, may be used in applying the pins 20. At the same time as the pins 20 are applied, the pins 20 may be thrust through the tapes 22 if these are to be used.

The portions 10b to We are then brought up along the sides of the stack of tissues, and the portions 10f to 101' are laid on top of each other as shown in FIGS. 3 AND 4; and the portions 10f to 101' are welded together by the application of heat to these portions. The flaps l0j at the four corners of the package are then brought together, and the package is closed at its four corners by applying heat along vertical lines at the four corners, as by applying an electrically heated wire to the flaps 10], so that the four corners of the package are sealed while at the same time the flaps l0j are severed from the completed package. The perforation line 18 may be formed by moving spaced heated sharpened punches downwardly onto the top of the package formed by the portions 10f-10i, with the ends of the punches having the same configuration as the perforation line 18. Each of the punches will make one of the perforations ofthe line 18.

In using the tissue package, an oval opening is provided in the top of the package by breaking out the part of the top of the package formed by the oval perforation line 18, and the pins 20 are pulled out of the support 12 as by using the tape pieces 22 as handles. The rubber band 16, being in stretched condition, tends to draw the portions 10b-10e farther underneath the support 12 about the edges of the support 12, and the package is thus tightened on the stack of tissues 14. As the tissues are withdrawn from the top of the package through the opening defined by the oval line 18 thereby decreasing the height of the tissue stack, the rubber band 16 continues to pull the portions 10b-10e underneath the support 12 to correspondingly decrease the height of the portions 10b-102 lying along the vertical sides of the stack of tissues 14, so that the rubber band 16 approaches its configuration and position as shown in FIG. 7, and the wrapping I0 is maintained tight about the tissues 14 remaining in the stack.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a cardboard support 24 which may be substituted for the support I2. The pins 20 may be dispensed with using the support 24 inasmuch as the support 24 has outwardly extending tabs 26 struck from it under which the rubber band 16 may lie for holding the band 16 temporarily in place. In order to activate the rubber band 16, it is simply pulled out from underneath the tabs 26.

The form of tissue package shown in FIG. 11 differs from the package of FIGS. 1-8 in that a cardboard support 28 is used in addition to the support 120 corresponding to the support 12. A rubber band 30 is used in addition to the rubber band 16a corresponding to the band 16, and the two bands 16a and 30 draw the portions lb-l0e about the edges of the supports 12a and 28 as shown in FIG. 11. with the band 160 being disposed on the under side of the support 120 and with the band 30 being disposed between the supports 12a and 28. As the tissues 14 are withdrawn through the opening defined by the perforation line 18 so as to decrease the height of the tissue stack. both of the rubber bands 16a and 30 draw the portions l0b-l0e inwardly so as to maintain the wrapping A tight about the remaining part of the stack of tissues 14. The rubber band 30 pulls the portions 10b l0e inwardly between the supports 12a and 28 while the rubber band 160 draws the portions l0b-l0e underneath the support 12a in the same manner as described in connection with the first embodiment shown in FlGS. l-8. If desired. the pins 20 may be used for this form of tissue package; and. in this case, the pins 20 would embrace both bands 16a and 30 and would pass through both bottoms 12a and 28.

Advantageously, the wrappings l0 and 10A of the illustrated tissue packages are maintained tight about the tissues 14 as they are withdrawn from the stack of tissues through the opening defined by the oval perforation line 18, presenting a much neater package than would be the case if means were not provided for keeping the wrappings tight about the tissues as they are used. The four overlapped portions l0f-l0i ad vantageously form a top of the package that is relatively rigid compared to the sides formed by the portions l0b-l0e, so that the tissues in being pulled through the opening in the package formed from the perforation line 18 do not distort the wrappings l0 and 10A as much as would be the case if the top of the wrappings were a single thickness. In the FIG. 11 form. a stack of tissues of greater height may be accommodated, since the two bands 16a and 30 are effective instead of only one band. The pins 20 advantageously hold the elastic band 16 (and also hold the band 30 if the pins 20 are used in the FIG. 11 modification) so that the wrappers l0 and 10A do not tend to compress the tissues 14 when the packages are stored which would undesirably destroy the crepes and resulting softness of the tissues; and the tabs 26 have the same desirable effect with respect to the elastic band 16.

I wish it to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, except only insofar as the claims may be so limited. as it will be understood to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.

I claim:

1. A package comprising a stack of sheets of sheet material, a wrapping for said stack comprising a bottom and sides and a bottom portion. said bottom having said stack of sheets disposed on the top thereof and being of relatively rigid material. said sides being of relatively thin flexible sheet material which extends around edges of said bottom and underneath said bottom to form a fold and then back again to form said bottom portion on the top surface of said bottom and underneath said stack. means for providing a sheet dispensing opening in said wrapping. and a band of elastic material located within said wrapping below said bottom and in said fold for drawing said sides around the edges of said bottom toward the center of said bottom for thereby decreasing the height of said sides so as to maintain said wrapping tight about said stack as said sheets are dispensed through said opening.

2. A package as set forth in claim 1, said bottom constituting a piece of cardboard and said sides and bottom portion being made of a piece of thin plastic.

3. A package as set forth in claim I. said wrapping comprising also a top in which said sheet dispensing opening is disposed.

4. A package as set forth in claim 3, said bottom and said tog being rectangular in shape.

. A package as set forth in claim 3. said top and sides and bottom portion being formed from a single piece of said thin flexible sheet material and said top constituting a plurality of plies of said piece of thin flexible sheet material.

6. A package as set forth in claim 5, the edges of said sides being fixed together so as to close the package.

7. A package as set forth in claim 1, and including also a second bottom of relatively rigid material located between said stack and said first named bottom, and a second elastic band located between said two bottoms of relatively rigid material and effective on said sides so that said two elastic bands draw said sides toward the centers of said bottoms and thereby decrease the height of said sides so as to maintain said wrapping tight about said stack as aforesaid.

8. A package comprising a stack of sheets of sheet material, a wrapping for said stack comprising a bottom and sides. said bottom having said stack of sheets disposed on the top thereof and being of relatively rigid material and said sides being a relatively thin flexible sheet material which are joined to a bottom portion located between said stack of sheets of sheet material and said bottom of relatively rigid material, means for providing a sheet dispensing opening in said wrapping. a band of elastic material located within said wrapping below said bottom for drawing said sides around the edges of said bottom toward the center of said bottom for thereby decreasing the height of said sides so as to maintain said wrapping tight about said stack as said sheets are dispensed through said opening. and temporary fastening means for temporarily fixing said elastic band with respect to said bottom whereby the elastic band may be released with respect to said bottom so that it maintains said wrapping tight about said stack as aforesaid.

9. A package as set forth in claim 8, said temporary fastening means constituting a plurality of pins embracing said elastic band and extending through said bottom. 

1. A package comprising a stack of sheets of sheet material, a wrapping for said stack comprising a bottom and sides and a bottom portion, said bottom having said stack of sheets disposed on the top thereof and being of relatively rigid material, said sides being of relatively thin flexible sheet material which extends around edges of said bottom and underneath said bottom to form a fold and then back again to form said bottom portion on the top surface of said bottom and underneath said stack, means for providing a sheet dispensing opening in said wrapping, and a band of elastic material located within said wrapping below said bottom and in said fold for drawing said sides around the edges of said bottom toward the center of said bottom for thereby decreasing the height of said sides so as to maintain said wrapping tight about said stack as said sheets are dispensed through said opening.
 2. A package as set forth in claim 1, said bottom constituting a piece of cardboard and said sides and bottom portion being made of a piece of thin plastic.
 3. A package as set forth in claim 1, said wrapping comprising also a top in which said sheet dispensing opening is disposed.
 4. A package as set forth in claim 3, said bottom and said top being rectangular in shape.
 5. A package as set forth in claim 3, said top and sides and bottom portion being formed from a single piece of said thin flexible sheet material and said top constituting a plurality of plies of said piece of thin flexible sheet material.
 6. A package as set forth in claim 5, the edges of said sides being fixed together so as to close the package.
 7. A package as set forth in claim 1, and including also a second bottom of relatively rigid material located between said stack and said first named bottom, and a second elastic band located between said two bottoms of relatively rigid material and effective on said sides so that said two elastic bands draw said sides toward the centers of said bottoms and thereby decrease the height of said sides so as to maintain said wrapping tight about said stack as aforesaid.
 8. A package comprising a stack of sheets of sheet material, a wrapping for said stack comprising a bottom and sides, said bottom having said stack of sheets disposed on the top thereof and being of relatively rigid material and said sides being a relatively thin flexible sheet material which are joined to a bottom portion located between said stack of sheets of sheet material and said bottom of relatively rigid material, means for providing a sheet dispensing opening in said wrapping, a band of elastic material located within said wrapping below said bottom for drawing said sides around the edges of said bottom toward the center of said bottom for thereby decreasing the height of said sides so as to maintain said wrapping tight about said stack as said sheets are dispensed through said opening, and temporary fastening means for temporarily fixing said elastic band with respect to said bottom whereby the elastic band may be released with respect to said bottom so that it maintains said wrapping tight about said stack as aforesaid.
 9. A package as set forth in claim 8, said temporary fastening means constituting a plurality of pins embracing said elastic band and extending through said bottom. 